


Shuffle

by FauxHeart



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gen, Music, jagercon gift exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-18
Updated: 2013-08-18
Packaged: 2017-12-23 21:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/931306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FauxHeart/pseuds/FauxHeart
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The closest you could get to being in the drift without being in the drift was to listen to music together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shuffle

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, I wrote a small ficlet for the wonderful fucklinski on tumblr as part of the jagercon gift exchange that was on tumblr. This is something I don’t write very often, but it’s cute, it’s fluffy, and Raleigh totally watched Totoro. (Also disclaimer: I don’t own, you don’t sue.)

After you drifted with someone there wasn’t a need to talk much. They did talk though, quite frequently, but more in terms of questions and clarifications on certain memories that popped up while in the drift. After all, these were all new memories to each other and often a point of reference wasn’t known, Raleigh was born in America. Mako in Japan who also grew up all over thanks to Stacker, and even though they could see each other memories, context wasn’t always made clear.

Sometimes they ran out of questions and would simply share a bunk or sit on the floor next to each other in silence. It was when Raleigh accidentally kicked Mako’s ipod from under her pillow while sitting on her bunk that curiosity got the better of him. “What’ya got on here?” Mako stared at the ipod in his hand before smiling, she sat next to him on the bunk with her back pressed to the wall. Grabbing the device she carefully put one earbud in her left ear and the right one in Raleigh’s. “I heard the other pilots do this.”

They did, or at least him and Yancy did back when it was the two of them. In fact they shared an ipod, Yancy would hound him about how much rock he put on while he would tease Yancy for favoring country music.

He could hear Mako humming as she scrolled through the music, he noticed she preferred the track listing in Japanese. He could make out a couple of the kanji characters and quite a bit of hiragana, he raised his brow at what he didn’t understand, but shrugged and kept silent. Speaking and conversing in a language was different from being able to write and read it, especially since Japanese had three different writing forms. Mako was still scrolling, but now laced with the nervousness of someone who was now doubting their decision.

“Just put it on shuffle Mako.” She pursed her lips together brows furrowing in thought before she spoke. “Most of it is in Japanese, some English and a lot of… just instruments.” She struggled to find the right word but Raleigh waved it off. “It’s okay.” He smiled at her as she still wore an unsure look before leaning his head back to rest against Mako’s shoulder careful not to jostle the bud in his ear and closed his eyes.

Mako curled her toes and moved her thumb in small circles hovering over the shuffle button. Raleigh was a warm weight on her shoulder, his hair just tickling at her throat. Swallowing she hit the button and waited in anticipation as to what the first song would be, she let a breath she didn’t know she was holding. It was an orchestral piece with a strong favoring towards the string instruments. Mako relaxed as Raleigh made a contented noise softly and snuggled closer to her, Mako released her vice like hold on the little device as she placed it gently between them. The next two songs were also instrumental, Mako stiffened slightly as she recognized the beginnings of the following song her face turning slightly pink.

“Headbangya?” Raleigh peeked at the little device’s screen. Mako reached for the device as a young girl’s voice mixed with a metal band played, Raleigh reached it first hand curling protectively around it. “You used to dance to this song.” He saw a brief snippet of Mako’s memory when she was a young teenager jumping around to this song in her room. “Yes.” She whispered as though embarrassed. “I still do air guitar.” He admitted, “I know.” Mako replied shaking her head in amusement as a particular memory of him doing that once in only his boxers and Yancy walking in on him flooded her mind.

The songs continued as they sat comfortably sharing space and body warmth, Mako now relaxed enough to try to rest her head on top of Raleigh. “Ayah.” She growled as her earbud kept falling out from her position. “Raleigh.” He removed his bud handing it to her. She switched their pieces, Raleigh put his earbud in his left ear while Mako did the same to her right. The earbuds couldn’t stretch much further causing them to press closer together. Raleigh took his place with his head back on Mako’s shoulder so she could put her head on top of his. Bits of black and blue strands brushed the top of brow and the tips of his vision.

“I know this one.” It was a familiar tune he couldn’t place. “It’s Totoro’s theme.” He laughed softly, reaching for her hand. Mako entwined their fingers humming the tone of the song.

They awoke several hours later to silence. Mako pushed the button on the ipod but to no response, “the battery was low when we started.” Raleigh nodded and yawned, his earbud dropping as he did so.

“Hm, next time we listen to your music.” Raleigh agreed with a grunt and stretch before freezing. He needed to update his playlist, Mako may be able to see his memories but it would still be a while before he admitted a rather large collection of show-tunes didn’t belong to Yancy.


End file.
